Brutal Love
by Mrs-diAngelo25
Summary: There were two tortured souls in the small town of Delancey, New York; Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo. Will the two meet and cure each other's deep wounds? PJO AU. Rated T for language, depressing themes, self harm, and alcohol abuse. *RE-EDITED VERSION*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

My whole body was shaking as I braced myself against the bathroom sink. I look up at myself in the mirror. My choppy black hair was straight and spiked, as usual, and my eyes looked more electric blue than normal.

I look back down at the test in my hand. Positive. It was positive. I honestly didn't know what to think about it. I wasn't sure weather to be happy, or sad, or angry, or what.

I walk out of the bathroom, feeling numb, the test still in my hand. I grab my coat from the couch where I had flung it and walk out the door. I stuff the pregnancy test as far as I can down into the garbage then pull on my jacket. I just needed to talk to Luke. I'd have to drop this on him slowly through.

Hopefully he wouldn't freak out too much. I was already a nervous wreck. I couldn't afford him freaking out on me. Not yet. I still hadn't told my mom. Once I told her, I knew she'd kick me out.

A slight wind was picking up, blowing the colorful autumn leaves from their neat piles and across the streets. It looked like it might rain in a while. I better get there quickly.

I get into my silver Honda Fit and turn the key in the ignition. I was so jittery that it was hard to keep my hands steady on the steering wheel.

I take a few deep breaths then back out. I was so scared. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. Not when my mother was drunk and would scream at me, not when she'd hit me. It was going to be okay though. Luke was going to stay with me and help raise the child. Right?

Luke would make an excellent father. He was so sweet and kind. He was great with little kids. He was patient and gentle with them. I just had to keep telling myself that this would all work out. Everything would be fine and wouldn't come crashing down around me.

I just needed to steady myself and be calm. If I was frantic while I told him, it would definitely freak him out. I just needed to calm down.

I look on the bright side. When I tell my mother, she'll kick me out. She won't be in my life anymore. I won't have to hear her screaming and crying in the middle of night anymore. This was going to work out. Somehow.

All I had to do was come up with a plan. I wasn't the best at coming up with plans. Usually they backfired in my face and ended in disaster. If Luke helps me though, we'll be sure to figure it out.

**A/N:**

**First chapter of Brutal Love! This is going to be one depressing story, I can tell you that. I actually had to stop writing on it for a few months because after writing the first four chapters in a day, I was depressed for about a week afterwords. So, I wouldn't suggest reading this if you depress easily.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

My phone started playing the chorus of "Perfect One" by Lit. I smile and answer.

"Hey, bab-" I start.

"Nico." she breathes.

"Amy? What's up?" I ask.

"I-I'm so sorry." she whispers.

"Amy, what are you talking about? You haven't done anything wrong." I say, starting to get worried at the tone of her voice.

"Yes I have." she sobs.

"What have you done that you think is so bad?" I ask, grabbing my keys and heading out the door.

I needed to get to her. She sounded like she did when she'd called me in the past, freaking out and about to do something she'd regret the next morning.

"I've been cheating on you." she whispers.

"What?" I freeze.

"I'm so sorry! I tried to break it off, with both of you, but I just can't. I love you both so much." she sobs.

"We can work this out. Just don't do anything stupid." I say, hopping into my black Toyota Tacoma.

"I already have." she says, faintly.

I hear the phone clatter to the floor then a heavy thump.

"Amy? Amy!" I cry.

I back out of the driveway and speed the whole way to her house.

* * *

I burst into her house. I sprint down the hallway and to her bedroom. It was completely empty. I go to the bathroom and find the door locked. I wiggle the knob frantically. I end up kicking open the door.

I regret doing it.

"Amy." I breathe, wanting to un-see what I see.

There was my beautiful Amy, laying on the floor in a growing pool of her own scarlet blood.

I get on my knees and cradle her in my arms. Her white blond hair was soaked in scarlet, making it a dark cherry red, and there were several deep cuts on her wrists.

"Amy." I whisper, my voice trembling.

"Amy, please wake up." I plead.

She doesn't.

I bury my head in her chest and sob. This wasn't supposed to happen. I had been planning on buying that simple diamond ring that I knew she would love and proposing next week. This wasn't supposed to happen.

How was I going to live without hearing her voice everyday? Or feel her lips against mine? I wasn't even particularly angry about her cheating. I just wanted her back. I wanted to hear her voice and her sarcastic comments. I wanted to feel her hand in mine.

I would miss her so much. I had seen her everyday for the past five years. Cried when she had cried. Laughed when she had laughed. Felt pain when she did.

I couldn't fathom her being lowered into the ground and being there forever; alone. Her beautiful hair rotting away, along the rest of her body.

This thought just made me cry harder. I hadn't cried this hard and long since my dog had died when I was 10.

**A/N:**

**There you are, my lovelies! Yes, Nico's girlfriend died. She killed herself because she couldn't take the guilt eating away at her for dating two guys at the same time.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure how often I'll update this story. Hopefully I can finish writing it soon and get the rest to you guys!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

I pull into Luke's driveway and get out of my car. It starts to rain as I walk up the path and up the steps to the red oak door. I knock but no one answers. There's an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach but I push it away. I peek through the small window that was beside door.

The lights were dimmed in the living room, from what I could see. I squint and see something moving on the sofa. I press my face against the glass and gasp. On the couch, Luke was making out with another girl.

I throw open the door and it smacks against the wall, making a loud clattering sound. Luke and the girl stop and he looks up. His blue eyes grow huge and he scrambles away from the girl and comes over to me.

"Thalia. It's not what it looks like." he says.

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to smack the crap out of him. Did he _seriously_ think I was going to believe that? I don't think so.

"I think it's _exactly_ what it looks like. And to think I came over here to tell you that you were going to be a father." I say, turning my back on him.

Before I can walk out the door, I feel his hand on my shoulder. I stop, my back stiff.

"What did you say?" he asks, breathless.

"You're going to be a father. Or at least, you _were_ going to be." I say, my back still turned on him.

"Let's not be rash, Thals. Let me explain. Please." he pleads.

"What is there to explain? You weren't the man I thought you were. Simple as that." I say, then shake his hand off my shoulder and march down the steps.

"Thalia!" he shouts after me.

The rain felt like cold needles pricking away at my skin. I hear the faint rumble of thunder and then see a flash of lightning in the dark sky, making it purple for a split second.

As I get back into my car, I wipe angrily at the hot tears spilling down my cheeks. I would show him. I would raise this child on my own. He would never see it though. He wouldn't even say so much as a "hello" to it as long as I was alive.

Just as I start the car, Luke slams himself against my door. I jump and then back out, rolling my eyes. He bangs on the window with his fist and, for a moment, I'm afraid he'll break it. Luke was stronger than he let on, and he was definitely putting all his strength into the blows on the window.

I finally back out and speed away, leaving Luke at the end of his driveway, sopping wet with rain and his knuckles bleeding.

**A/N:**

**Luke, that dirty, no good fuckface! How could he hurt Thalia like that?! She's strong though. She can get through it. Originally, I had thought about making Amy the girl Luke had been making out with, but it wouldn't match up with the timeline I had, so I just made up some random girl.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

The whole week went by in a blur. I barely remembered anything. All I knew was that she was gone. My sweet, beautiful Amy was gone. My dad and Persephone kept telling me it would be okay, eventually. But my question was, when was that?

They acted as if I'd just wake up one day and be completely okay. Like nothing had happened. Like she had never been in my life or that she hadn't been the first person I had ever truly loved.

I barely came out of my room. When I did, it was at night because I couldn't sleep. Any time I close my eyes, I see her soaked in blood.

I had called 9-1-1 after sitting there with her for about ten minutes. They had come in minutes and taken her away, away from me forever.

Her parents had come over to the house a few times, just to see how I had been holding up. It just made everything worse though. It just reminded me that this was all real and she was gone.

I listened to her favorite music all day long. That's all I _could_ do. I wished everything would just stop, so I could breathe and regroup. Try to bring my sanity back.

She would always be nineteen years old. Forever. While I'd age and grow old, without her by my side.

Sometimes I'd wonder what the other guy was thinking. What he looked like. I also wondered who had come first, me or him? Had anyone known about him, and if so, had anyone told him what had happened to her? Or was he completely oblivious, just waiting for his Amy to call.

I had burned the clothes I had worn that day. I didn't want to remember them. The shoes I couldn't bare to part with though. They were my solid black hi-tops. She had gotten them for me last year for my birthday. They just sat in my closet now, her blood still on them.

More than anything, I wished I could hold her once last time. See her smile and hear her laugh at my bad jokes one last time. I wanted to dance around the kitchen to old records with her while she was making the two of us dinner.

That would never happen again though. I was simply daydreaming of something that was impossible of ever happening again.

**A/N:**

**Ugh. So, so sad. I know, you guys are probably wondering when I'm going to bring Thalia and Nico together. All will come in time.. I promise!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Don't you ever think about coming back here!" my mom shouts, standing in the threshold of the door.

I throw my bag into the backseat of my car and slam the door.

"I wouldn''t come back here even if I was offered a million dollars!" I yell back.

I get into my car and slam the door closed. I jam the key into the ignition then peel out of the driveway. I had no idea where I was going to go, but anywhere was better than here.

A few minutes later, I pull into an empty parking lot and pull out my phone. I scroll through my contacts until I find the one I had been searching for; Annabeth. I'd just see if I could stay with her for a while. Just until I was on my feet.

"Hey, Thals!" she answers, sounding gleeful.

"Annabeth. I need a place to stay." I say.

"What happened?" she asks, seriousness replacing the happy tone she had had before.

"I'll tell you when I get there. It's a long story." I say, ending the call.

With that, I pull out of the parking lot and get on the road to Annabeth's house. I'd be okay. Everything was going to be fine. I just needed to be strong and hold out. Annabeth would help me and her parents were more like family than my own mother had ever been.

It starts to rain again as I go down the winding roads towards Annabeth's house. The roads were covered in the fallen leaves of the season, slick with the rain which had pretty much been constant for the past three days. I lean forward in my seat and try to concentrate on the road. It would do me no good to crash.

Annabeth was my closest friend and she'd do anything for me. I liked staying with her. It was always a nice escape from my hellhole of a life. Her house was in a secluded part of the woods. They had a small lake by their house too. We used to go swimming there in the summer, just her and I.

My hands tighten on the steering wheel, causing my knuckles to whiten. I'd make it through with her help. I'd get through this. I just had to hold on and try to stay sane.

**A/N:**

**Good 'ole Annabeth! How do you guys think Thalia is going to do this "all by herself," as she claims she will?**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

_"Nico." she whispers._

_I open my eyes and see that I'm laying on the floor. I was in some sort of dark hallway. The walls were painted black and the floor was a black tile. There were a few lanterns mounted on the walls but they were very dimly lit._

_I look forward and see her at the end of the hallway. She was wearing a flowing white gown and her long hair was swaying ever so slightly, even though there wasn't a breeze. She looked as if she was reaching a hand out to me, trying to grab my hand. I reach towards her but it seemed as if she was just pushed further down the hallway and away from me._

_I get to my feet and start running towards her. It was almost like I was running in place. I couldn't get to her, no matter how fast I ran._

_I finally started getting closer to her. She was reaching her hands out, desperate to get to me. We were nearly screaming each other's names. I reach out a hand and my fingers brush hers._

_Then, everything freezes. I can't move and she's stuck as well. Suddenly, blood starts pouring from her eyes and mouth. I wanted to look away but I couldn't._

_"Nico." she whispers, then fades away._

* * *

I wake up, gasping for air. I've lost count of how many times I've had that dream. I glance around my room and see early morning daylight streaming through my window. I run my fingers through my messy hair and get out of bed.

It's been a month since she died. Sometimes I think I see her in the hallway, or asleep on my bed. I'd walk into my room and imagine her long, white blonde hair spread out all over the pillow. Then I'd look more closely and see that it was just the blanket.

Dad and Persephone had asked me if I was okay. I lie every time and say that I'm starting to feel better, little by little, every day. The truth was, I was feeling _worse_, little by little, every day.

No one seemed to understand what I was going through. Sometimes when I wake up I think she's actually still alive and will be calling me any minute. Then reality hits and I feel like locking myself in my room for the whole day.

I yank open my dresser and get out a clean shirt and a pair of jeans. I get dressed and then grab my car keys. I needed to get out of this house. I needed to let my mind go numb for a while and just forget about the nightmares and hallucinations for a while.

**A/N:**

**Well, we're getting closer to their meet-up! I need to catch up on writing this story... I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. It could be next week or a month.**

**Reviews are nice, as usual.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Thalia. _Thalia_." someone whispers while shaking my shoulder.

"Wha?" I mumble, squinting open my eyes.

Annabeth was standing over me, her blonde curls a curtain around her face. Her storm cloud gray eyes looked a bit anxious.

"What is it?" I ask, sitting up on the futon that's been serving as my bed for the past two weeks.

"I think my mom is getting suspicious." she says.

We hadn't told her parents why exactly I was staying in their refurbished basement. We weren't quite sure how they would react, so we've just kept it a secret. But, it's going to have to come out sometime.

I sit on the futon for a couple of beats, then say, "I'll come clean. If they kick me out, so be it."

"Really?" Annabeth asks.

I nod and she hugs me. I could feel some of the nervous tension leave her body. I think this secret has been weighing heavier on her than it has me. I mean, it is _her_ parents that she's been keeping it from.

"When do you want to do it?" she asks, looking at me.

"Tonight after dinner." I say.

"Alright. And you're sure about this?" she asks, placing a hand on my arm.

"Yea." I say, nodding.

Truth be told, I'm a nervous wreck. My mind has been a raging battle ground ever since I found Luke with that other girl a couple of weeks ago.

I've been going back and forth on weather I should return his calls or just flat-out ignore him. Back and forth on weather I hate him or love him. It was all just so confusing.

But, I needed to do this. The sooner I get it over with, the better.

* * *

"So, how do you propose we do this?" Annabeth asks.

We were in her room on the second floor of the Colonial house. Her walls were painted a pretty olive green and lined with bookshelves. Annabeth loved to read.

She was one of the smartest people I knew, and she was asking _me_ how to do something. I never thought I'd see the day.

"No, no. Not _we_. Me. You're not the one carrying a child, after all." I say.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

She kept asking me that, and it was getting on my nerves. It was almost like she didn't think I could handle telling the truth.

"Yes." I say.

"Alright." she says.

"Dinner!" Annabeth's step-mom calls from downstairs.

I open the door and we start heading down the winding oak staircase.

* * *

We had pizza for dinner. I had only gotten one slice because my stomach was tying itself in knots.

When I finish, I clear my throat and all eyes turn to me.

"I, uh, need to tell you something." I say, trying to speak up.

"What is it, Thalia?" Mrs. Chase asks.

It felt like my chest was caving in on itself. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

When I open them, they're all still staring at me, waiting for me to speak. Annabeth places a hand on my knee and squeezes, encouraging me on.

"I'm pregnant. My mother kicked me out of the house when she found out. This was the only place I could think of to stay at for a while." I say.

Annabeth's parents and her two little brothers stare at me, wide eyed and speechless.

I pick up my empty plate and water glass then scoot away from the table.

I make my way to the kitchen and place the dirty dishes in the sink, then head downstairs. I figure it's best to let them discuss what they had just learned.

* * *

"Thalia?" Annabeth says, creeping down the stairs.

"What'd they say?" I ask, turning around to look at her.

She sighs and sits down on one of the overstuffed chairs.

"Bad news?" I ask.

She gives me a mournful look and nods.

"Well then, I suppose I'm sleeping in my car tonight." I say, pulling on my jacket and hefting my heavy bag onto my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." she whispers, looking down.

"Hey, it's okay. It's about time I find a place of my own." I say, giving her a one-armed hug.

She hugs me back and says, "I suppose. I wish they'd let you stay though."

"I know." I say.

"It's all her fault. If my real mom was still alive, she'd let you stay." she says, fuming.

The "her" she was referring to her was her step-mom. She wasn't very open-minded. Her actual mom died in a car accident eight years ago. I had met Annabeth right after the accident and we've been best friends ever since.

"But if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call me. I'm always here." she says.

"Okay." I say.

"I mean it. If you need help, call me." she says, her voice deadly serious.

"I know, and I will. I need to get going though. I'll call you later and let you know what's going on." I say.

"Alight." she says, opening the patio door for me.

I walk out and start heading up the hill to the driveway.

**A/N:**

**I know, I know. It's been almost two months since I've updated this story. I apologize. I've just been really busy and haven't had much time to write on this one. But, it's a longish chapter! So maybe that makes up for a the long wait at least a little bit.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngleo25**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

"Nico, you need to get out of the house." dad says.

"I agree. You need to find something to do. Sitting around the house and moping isn't helping you." Persephone says.

I glare at her. She didn't know what it was like to lose the one you loved. She had no idea what it was like to hear them die and see their dead body on the bathroom floor in a pool of their own blood.

"So, technically, you two are kicking me out?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

They look at each other and then back at me.

"Well, if you want to get _technical_…" dad says.

"Fine. I'll go pack my bags." I sigh, standing up from my seat on the couch.

I head into my room and grab my giant duffel bag. I just start stuffing clothes and other miscellaneous things inside it, not really caring what comes with me.

After a few minutes, I hear my door creak open. Persephone was standing there, looking hesitant to enter without my permission.

I just roll my eyes and motion for her to come in. She walks over to the bed and perches on the edge of it.

"You know, your father and I aren't doing this to punish you. We just want what's best for you, and sulking around the house isn't what's best." she says, her voice tentative.

I don't respond. I just look out the window, not at her.

After a couple of beats, she sighs and gets up, exiting the room. She could obviously tell that I wasn't going to talk to her about any of this.

* * *

_'Knock-knock-knock.'_ I moan and get up off my small couch in my apartment and head to the door. This was the third time this week.

"Hello sir, would you be interested in learning more of the Holy Spirit?" a preppy young woman asks as soon as I open the door.

"Nope." I say, closing the door in her face.

I go and sit back down on the couch, picking the TV remote up and turning up the volume.

Another knock interrupts me.

I make a frustrated sound and throw the remote onto the couch, getting up once again. I stalk over to the door and fling it open.

"_What_." I say, gritting my teeth.

"Sir, everyone needs to learn more of the Holy Spirit. It's good for the soul." the woman says, smiling at me.

"Would you like to know _why_ I don't want to learn?" I ask.

"Oh, yes sir." she nods, taking a small note pad and a pencil out of her bag.

"My girlfriend killed herself a month and a half ago. Slit her wrists. I had the pleasure of hearing her die while I was on the phone with her and then finding her in her bathroom in a pool of her own blood." I say, the anger building in my voice.

"Oh, sir. I'm so sor-" she starts, but I cut her off. I was on a roll.

"Up until that point, I believed God cared about me. I believed he actually _cared_ about what happened to me and the ones I loved. Then, that happened, and I lost faith. So don't waste your time on me." I say, then close the door again.

I didn't want to hear any more from the people from the churches in town. I know they meant well, but they just come across as annoying to me. Like little mosquitoes buzzing around my head.

They could promise me everything. That I'd start to feel better, that I'd find someone better than Amy, someone who wouldn't cheat. Someone who would stick with me and not kill themselves because they felt guilty.

But the truth is, none of that exists in my future. I'll never feel better. I'll never find someone better than Amy. She was the best of the best, and even she had flaws.

**A/N:**

**Ugh. Nico. Just-ugh. I promise, it gets better! It really does.**

**So, I know it't been a while since I last updated, but it hasn't been almost two months like the last one! But, here's the catch on the next update. I'm not going to update this one again till I get three favorites/follows and/or reviews...Reviews preferably from people with accounts so I can talk to you guys, but I won't be too picky.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Thalia, please just listen to me-" I press the "delete voice message" button on my phone. Yet another message from Luke, begging me to take him back.

There was no way in hell I was talking to him again, much less taking him back.

I had been able to find a nice apartment relatively quickly after I was kicked out of Annabeth's house. Only took a few days, actually. So I wasn't spending a ton of limited money on a hotel room every day.

The landlord, Dana, was a very kind-hearted woman. She was a single mom, raising two kids, 10 and 5 years old, by herself.

The apartment building was actually an old, twenty bedroom, colonial house. More like a mansion than a house, if you ask me. The room was pretty inexpensive because business hasn't been going very well for Dana lately.

One of the several good things about it was that it was already fully furnished, so I didn't have to buy a bed or dresser or anything like that.

A small knock sounds from the other side of my door, breaking me out of my angry thoughts towards Luke. I pocket my phone and walk over to the door.

I open it up to find Dana's five year old, Cecily, looking up at me. Her curly, light brown hair was pulled into pig-tails today and she was wearing a pair of faded overalls with a green tee shirt.

"Dinner is, uhm, ready." she says, looking down at her shoes.

"Okay, come on." I say, walking out and closing my door.

I take her small hand and we start walking down the staircase and to the dining room.

We get to the dining room just as Michael, Dana's son, finishes setting the table. There were only six people in the house currently. Dana and her two kids, Martha Jennings, Kale Dawson, and me.

Martha was a 40-something year old who lived on the first floor. She usually keeps to herself, only coming out of her room when she has to head to work or run errands, or for meal times.

Kale, he was 23. He's a bit of a chatterbox. I'll be coming home from my job at the local diner in town and he'll be in the living room. When I walk in, he immediately jumps up and hurries over to me and just starts talking about random things. He's really nice, just a bit on the annoying side.

"What are we having for dinner, Michael?" I ask.

"It's Mike. And we're having beef tips, mashed potatoes, and green beans." he says.

Michael was always changing what he wanted to be called. Like when I first met him, it was Mikey, then it was Mick, then Michael, and now it was Mike.

I walk into the kitchen, still holding Cecily's hand. Dana had cooked up a storm. There were dirty dishes in the sink and on the counter, but it all smelled wonderful.

"Need any help?" I ask.

"Oh, no, dear. I've got it." she says. She always calls me "dear" or "honey."

"Are you sure? I don't mind." I say.

"Well, actually, if you could start taking things to the table, that would be good." she says.

"No problem." I say.

I take Cecily over to Michael and he takes her into the living room for the time-being. Then I walk over to the counter and pick up the warm bowl of mashed potatoes.

I go back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, taking things and setting them in the middle of the table.

Eventually, it's all there and we all sit down to eat.

About half-way through dinner, Kale talking up a storm about space and time travel, my phone starts ringing in my back pocket.

"Excuse me." I say, pushing away from the table, a bit relieved to have an excuse to get away from this conversation.

I take out my phone while heading into the foyer of the house. It was Luke again. I groan and then think that the conversation in the dining room was more inviting than this.

I sigh and answer it. If I don't, he'll keep calling until I do.

"_What_?" I growl.

"Thank God, you picked up!" he says, sounding relieved.

"Listen, Luke. I don't want a damn thing to do with your sorry ass. You're not the person I thought you were." I say, my voice cold.

"Thalia, I'm so sorry. It was a mistake, honest." he says.

I wasn't buying it, and I think he could tell.

"Luke, for all I care, you can fuck off and die. Don't call me again." I say, hanging up.

I place my phone back in my pocket and take a deep breath, placing the palms of my hands over my eyes.

Then, I walk back into the dining room, happy to hear that the topic had changed to something besides space and time travel. The phone calls were going to stop now. If he keeps calling me, I'm going to go to the phone company and have them change my number.

**A/N:**

**Well, I reached the little goal I had put at the end of 8, so I'm quite happy about that! For your reward, you get a longer chapter! They're getting a bit longer and towards my usual writing standard. Again, I'm not sure when this one will be updated again, it doesn't really have a set schedule as most of my stories do. I'll try and update as soon as I can though!**

**So my day stared out pretty well. Then it all just went to shit. Good god, today has just felt like it will never end, and it's still not over!**

**My parents, brother, and I went to the bigger city that's about a 30 minute drive away from where I live and we were going to have lunch. Doesn't sound bad, right? Well, you're wrong.**

**I was riding with my brother in his car and we were stopped at a light. His phone started ringing, but he didn't realize it was his phone (I guess he thought it was mine) until he pulled it out on the last ring. Like a minute later, it rang again and it was his wife. **

**Now, don't get me wrong, I love my sister-in-law to death, but most of the time it's like she always has to control my brother and if she can't, she basically goes ballistic on him and chews his ass out.**

**So anyway, he answered and I could only hear his side of the conversation, but just the way his mood and face changed told me that she was not happy with him. Apparently they were going to go out and get coffee when she got her break from work, and he told her that he was actually about to eat lunch with us. She obviously didn't like the sound of that and I think she just chewed him out even more. **

**The whole thing just pissed me off to no end, and I still am petty pissed, because I hardly ever get to spend time with ****_just _****my brother. She's always there, practically breathing down his neck the whole time. And he's more himself around me and my parents when she's not around either. He's more easy to talk to and just more fun to be around in general. **

**Like before she called, we had been rocking out to one of his Pandora stations, talking about different bands and stuff and then she called and it was like instant buzz-kill and I literally just felt like dying in the passenger seat because the whole thing was so goddamn awkward, I felt like I was intruding on something, to be honest.**

**Then after that whole thing, we got to the restaurant, and we went inside and ordered our food and after a while it came out and my brother, dad, and I started eating. But my mom was on her phone and I saw that it was my aunt she was texting. She also had this weird look on her face, like she was really worried or upset.**

**My brother and I instantly noticed, but my dad just said, "Put down the toy and eat."**

**I swear, if looks could kill. My mom really doesn't glare or get angry with anyone really. She's extremely optimistic and I envy her for it sometimes. But the look she gave him, good god, it was awful. She then told him, "In a minute. This is important." And he gave her a look and she she said, "I'll tell you about it later."**

**All the while, my brother and I are totally fucked and have no clue whatsoever what's going on. I guess my mom saw that we were all really confused so she sighed and told us what was going on.**

**See, a few years ago, my aunt (my mom's little sister, she's the youngest out of the five kids) was confronted by two of her co-workers because she had been stealing prescription drugs from them. So they basically threatened her and told her they would either call the cops and she'd be taken to jail, or she could quit and go to rehab and get better and they wouldn't get the police involved. It got really bad for a few days after the confrontation, she considered killing herself but that left her husband with three kids, a 17, 15, and a 9 year old. So thankfully, she decided to go to rehab.**

**Well, with that whole thing, she and her family have been struggling with money since. She has a job, but she didn't have as many clients over this summer as she had thought she would. So apparently, they haven't been able to pay their electric bill for a few months, they've just been putting it off, and their electricity got cut off today. **

**So she had been texting my mom about this and meanwhile my dad is being a total prick about it and saying that she was basically just begging for money and that she'd just go out and buy drugs with it. **

**They debated on this for a few minutes, the whole time my brother and I were extremely quite. Then my mom brought up my half-sister. She's struggled with money in the past, since for most of her life as a mom, she's been single and raising two boys, and she just had another with her new husband, who has two other children of his own from his previous wife. So between the two of them, they have five kids, and as you can imagine, five kids and two adults is a lot to get groceries and stuff for. **

**So occasionally my parents will send her some gift cards, just to help her out. So when my mom brought up this after my dad had said, "And you're just going to ****_give _****her this money?" my mom said, "She's my ****_sister. _****And how is _ any different? We've sent her money before when she's been struggling." **

**I think my brother and I held out breath for a few seconds, just waiting for this shitstorm to start. Thankfully, it didn't. I think my dad realized that it wasn't the time for that conversation. While my mom was talking to her, she had texted and told her that the church they go to had offered to pay their electric bill, so she just asked my mom if she could send a gift card for the grocery store. My dad still objected to this.**

**But just the way he was completely dissing my aunt and pretty much refused to help her and her family out was what really ticked me off. ****I mean, SHE'S MY FUCKING AUNT! I mean, I understand how she's a bit hard to trust with her past and all, but what the fuck is she going to buy with a fucking grocery card from Kroger besides groceries?!**

**A few other shitty things happened today, but I feel like this A/N is long enough as it is and that I've bored you all with it. So I'll just end it here. **

**Hope you liked the chapter!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

Again and again, the nightmares came. Always of her at the end of that damn hallway, reaching out to me. I'd get within inches of pulling her into my arms and then she'd just start pouring blood. Every time I wake up, I feel tears on my face.

I hated living like this. I tried thinking of peaceful things before I fell asleep, listening to my favorite music. I'd even tried counting sheep. But nothing worked. It all just ended in having that dream.

Tonight was especially bad. This was the fifth time I woke up. This last time, I woke up screaming and calling for Amy.

I reach over blindly in the darkness for my phone on the nightstand. Sometimes I really love the blackout curtains I have, and other times they're a pain in the ass.

I finally find it and unlock it. I find the number I was looking for and press the "call" button. I hold the phone up to my ear, listening to it ring.

As expected, she didn't answer.

I've been trying to call my sister, Bianca, for weeks now. I feel like if I can just _talk_ to her, everything will just start to even out, I'll start to heal.

But she refused to talk to me. She and my mother. I don't even recall _doing_ anything to piss them off so much. All I know is that when mom and dad got the divorce three years ago, mom took Bianca and I was left with dad and Persephone. Why she couldn't have taken me too, I don't know.

I sigh and set my phone back on the little table and swing myself out of bed. There was no way I was going back to sleep today. I couldn't be _paid_ to endure that again. That and I had to go to work in a bit.

I walk out of my small bedroom and into the kitchen. I turn on the coffee maker and it starts brewing a pot of the stuff. I glance at the clock on the microwave to see what time it is, exactly. I wasn't really paying attention to it when I tried calling Bianca.

The bright green numbers read 9:00.

Joy. Only six hours of sleep to keep me going at work. I couldn't even fathom falling asleep last night, but eventually the exhaustion got to me and I succumbed to the darkness of sleep around 3:00.

The coffee machine beeps and I turn to see that it was finished brewing. I take a mug out of the cabinet and pour some of the stuff in, along with three heaping spoonfuls of sugar and a bit of milk.

I sip it in the kitchen, completely zoned out. By the time I finish the cup, I break out of my trance and look at the clock again. Now it was 9:45.

"Shit." I say under my breath.

I had to be at work at 10:15. And my boss wasn't too forgiving of lateness.

I place my empty mug in the sink and hurry back to my room to get ready.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jamie asks.

Jamie was one of my co-workers at the local building supplies store I work at. She was the closest thing I had to a friend, and even then, she's not much. She doesn't really care about me, and I don't really care about her. I suppose we're more along the lines of acquaintances.

"I didn't get much sleep last night." I mumble, walking past her to clock in.

"Di Angelo!" Harry yells.

I sigh, that would be my boss. Harry Bunt. Although, I liked to refer to him as "Harry Butt." Mostly because he acted like one most of the time, but also because his ass was so huge, he took up a whole isle.

"Yes, Mr. Bunt?" I ask.

"You're late! I will not tolerate this much longer, Mr. di Angelo. If you're late again, you're fired. Understand?" he snarls.

"Yes, sir." I say, though being fired from this miserable place wouldn't be such a bad thing.

* * *

Throughout the day, I ended up having to re-stack a bunch of paint cans that a ten year old thought would be funny to knock over, sweep up a bunch of sawdust, and reorganize the paint sample cards.

When I finally stumbled into my apartment, I felt like collapsing on the floor.

I make my way to my room to get ready for bed, even though I probably won't get much sleep at all tonight. I carelessly toss my work clothes onto the floor, leaving them in a heap. I pull on a pair of sleep pants and then crawl into bed.

I look up into the darkness, trying to force my eyes shut so I could go to sleep. It was impossible. I try for about another hour, then sigh and get out of bed.

It was no use. I couldn't sleep. No matter how tired I was, I couldn't make myself sleep and have that horrible dream again.

**A/N:**

**Still pretty sad, but there was a bit of humor in there, you gotta admit.**

**Well, today has been, by far, ****_much _****better than Thursday was. I'm in Nashville right now and my mom and I are going to see a Fun. concert tonight!**

**Last night though, that was pretty awful. My friend and I had made plans and then her stuck-up, mean friend texted her and asked her if they were still hanging out. Apparently they had made plans a couple of weeks ago, I let that one slide because those plans had been made before ours had.**

**So my friend told me she would be at my house at about 6:30 and around 6:45, she texted me and told me she couldn't come over and that she was ****_reeeeeally _****sorry. I thought that maybe her parents had told her she couldn't come over, but then I got onto Twitter and saw that she had re-tweeted another one of her "friend"'s tweets. Apparently, this other chick's brother (who's also my friend's boyfriend) had been driving her crazy because he was playing his drums. **

**Basically what happened, I was ditched just because this other chick, whom my friend has only known for barely a year, "cried" for help and my friend was there in an instant, seemingly forgetting that I actually ****_needed _****her because I was having a pretty suckish day (I seem to have a lot of those, huh?). **

**The whole ordeal just really pissed me off and I got really angry and hurt. She also posted a picture of her and her boyfriend. I mean, really?! Did she seriously think I wouldn't see that?! Sometimes I just really think I need new friends who'll treat me better and actually appreciate me.**

**So yes, today is much better because I'm getting 10 days away from her and all the other drama at home. What makes it better is that I'm eating super awesome pizza right now :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Thals." Annabeth says when I answer my phone.

I was at work at the little diner in town, but I was currently on my lunch break.

"Hey, whatcha need?" I ask, picking at my fries.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out to diner with me tonight, there's someone I want you to meet." she says.

"Sure. I get off at 4:00, so I'll just meet you somewhere." I say.

"How about Pepper's?" she suggests.

Pepper's was a local pizza place in town. Since we lived in a relatively small town and had to drive thirty minutes to get to decent mall, we had a lot of local restaurants and shops.

"Sounds good. Do I get any hints on who I'm meeting tonight?" I ask.

"Nope." she says, sounding smug.

"Fine." I sigh.

"Well, I need to get back to work. I'll meet you there around, say, 6:00?" I ask.

"Yea, that's fine. See you then." she says.

I slip my phone back into my jeans pocket and stand up from my table, picking up my plate of fries.

One of the things I loved about working here was that I could wear anything I wanted, as long as it was appropriate.

* * *

"Where are you going tonight?" Dana asks, eyeing my slightly dressy outfit. Well, not _dressy _dressy. Just a dark blue blouse and a good pair of jeans.

"Meeting a friend for dinner." I say.

"Well then, that answers my next question of whether you're going to be eating with us tonight." she says.

"When do you think you'll be back?" she asks as I walk to the door.

"Hmm, maybe around 8:00?" I say, shrugging.

"Alright. I'll just leave the door unlocked then." she says.

"See you later!" I say, walking out the door.

* * *

"Thals, over here!" Annabeth calls.

I look around and see her and a guy around our age sitting at a table by the window.

Pepper's was crowded tonight, as it is most nights around this time. She must have called and booked a table right after she had talked to me today.

I make my way through the crush of people and over to the table. When I get there, I sit down and eye the guy sitting next to her. He had black hair and sparkling, sea green eyes. His skin was tanned, like he spent most of his time out on the beach.

"Thalia, this is Percy. Percy, Thalia." Annabeth says.

"Nice to meet you, but who exactly are you?" I ask.

He laughs and turns to Annabeth. "You still haven't told her?" he asks.

She shakes her head and says, "Percy is my boyfriend."

I was slightly shocked and a bit hurt. I mean, why wouldn't she have told me? I'm her best friend.

The waitress comes right at that moment, stopping an awkward silence from happening, and taking our drink and food orders.

"So, how's Dana?" Annabeth asks.

"Fine. Busy, as usual, but fine." I say.

"How are Matthew and Bobby?" I ask.

"Loud and annoying. Ever since you left, they've been begging Julia to let you come back." she says, smiling a little.

"Well, that's awfully sweet of them, but I don't want her to feel obligated to let me live at your house." I say.

"I still don't understand why dad married her, out of all people. She's a nightmare when company isn't over." she says, scowling.

The waitress comes back with our drinks and food and we start eating, while talking about different things.

About thirty minutes later, I decided that I really liked Percy. He seemed like a good guy, one that would take care of Annabeth and be by her side no matter what.

I start to feel a bit jealous of Annabeth, and then instantly curse myself for it. I should be happy for her, not wishing I had someone like Percy myself. Although, I did wish I had _someone_.

Out the corner of my eye, I see a tall guy with sandy blonde hair walk through the door. I really hope that it's not who I'm thinking it is. I quickly look and see that my suspicions were true. It was Luke who had just walked in.

"Uh, I need to go. I told Dana I'd be back by 7:30." I say, scooting away from the table.

"Are you alright, Thalia?" Annabeth asks, concern in her storm gray eyes.

"Yea, I'm fine." I say.

"Alright. Well, I'll call you later." she says. She didn't sound too convinced.

"It was nice meeting you, Percy." I say.

"Nice meeting you too, Thalia." he says, smiling at me and waving.

I quickly navigate my way out of the restaurant and breathe a sigh of relief when I make it out.

I start walking down the alley beside the building. It was a shortcut to back to the house.

Suddenly, I feel someone grab my wrist. I make a startled sound and whip around to see Luke.

"Leave me alone." I growl, turning my back on him and carrying on.

"Thalia, wait, Please." he says.

I don't. I keep walking. I didn't want a thing to do with Luke, not after what he had done.

I feel him grab my wrist again, this time his grip was harder and I couldn't break free.

"Luke, let me go." I say, struggling to get away.

He pins me up against the brick wall, holding both of my hands above me.

"Not until you agree to take me back." he says, breathing his hot breath on my neck.

"Well then, I suppose we're going to be here for a while, because that's not happening." I say.

"Why won't you? You obviously need someone to help you take care of the baby. I can do that. It is _my_ child, after all." he says.

"And who's the one carrying it? Not you, that's for sure." I say.

"God, Thalia. I swear, if you don't agree, I'll-" he says, trying to think of what he'll do.

"You'll what? Beat me up until I agree to take you back?" I ask.

He narrows his eyes and a snarl comes to his lips. He lets go of one of my hands, taking it with the other hand, and draws back his fist.

"I was kidding!" I say, trying to break free of his grasp.

He strikes me in the jaw, stopping me from saying anything else. Then he slaps me, over and over again. I scream and cry out, hot tears running down my face.

"Stop, Luke. Stop!" I cry.

"Not until you agree." he says, delivering a slap for each word.

"No." I say.

_'Slap.'_

"How about now?" he asks.

"No." I say, breathing hard.

_'Slap, slap.'_

"You and I both know you can't take much more of this." he says.

"No, she can't, and she won't." a voice says from the mouth of the alley.

Suddenly, Luke is tackled off of me and onto the ground. I break away from the brick wall and see Percy struggling with Luke on the ground.

I back away and bump into Annabeth.

"Oh, Thalia." she says, hugging me tight and walking me away from Percy and Luke.

"What did he want?" she asks, taking some napkins out of her purse and giving them to me for my bloody nose.

"He wanted me to take him back, so he could be there for the baby." I say.

"And he started beating you up when you refused?" she asks, horrified.

I nod and she shakes her head in disgust.

Percy comes back a few seconds later, some dirt on his clothes and face, but besides that, he was fine.

"Where did he go?" Annabeth asks, fuming. If she knew where he was, she would probably go beat him up too.

"Ran off. Good riddance too. Are you okay, Thalia?" Percy asks, his green eyes full of concern.

"I'll be fine. Thank you." I say.

"No problem. C'mon, let's get you home." he says, opening the backseat door of his car.

I slide in and close the door. He and Annabeth get in and he starts backing out of the space.

* * *

As I crawl into bed, after having a long, hot shower, I try to not touch my face. By tomorrow morning, it's going to look like it was used as one of the snow scrapers they use on the roads when it's snowed a lot.

I try and think about what I'm going to do when the baby comes along. I had no one to help me at all. My mother sure as hell wasn't going to help me (I didn't want her to anyway), and after tonight, Luke wasn't going to come within twelve feet of the baby.

I wish I had someone like Percy to help me. Even if that someone wasn't a boyfriend, just a really close friend that I could definitely reply on.

I would say that Annabeth is like that, and she is for the most part, but she has her own life. I can't just beg her to drop everything so she can help me raise a baby.

When I had met Luke, I had thought that we were going to be together for forever. I never would have imagined that our relationship was going to crash and burn like it did.

I had imagined us getting married and living in a tiny apartment, then moving into a house and having kids. Then watching them go off to college and growing old together. Not this. Not being 18 years old and pregnant with his child, while nursing a bruised and bloody face that he caused.

I was supposed to be happy, not miserable.

**A/N:**

**Goddammit, Luke! I want to beat him up too, that is, if there's anything left of him after Annabeth gets a hold of him...**

**It feels like it's been forever since I've updated this one, and I apologize about that. I've been pretty busy writing the first part of the epilogue trilogy for my series The Shadows of Revolution, and also on my other story Runaway. But this chapter was super long, so hopefully that makes up for the wait a little?**

**It might be a while before I get the next chapter out, since I haven't even written it yet. And that should tell you how busy I've been since I usually have at least five or more chapters written in advance.**

**Till the next chapter (whenever that'll be).**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

I had discovered that drinking Vodka worked quite well when I needed to sleep. I'd down a whole bottle in an hour and then I'd pass out. It had taken a few times to where I actually made it to my bed before I did, but I had finally managed it. And the best part was that I didn't have the nightmares when I was drunk.

On the downside, I woke up every morning with a pounding headache and my eyes so sensitive to light that I had to go about an hour with the lights dimmed before I could turn them on all the way.

But these things didn't bother me so much, because I was actually able to sleep and I wasn't awoken by that damn nightmare every night.

My alarm clock on my phone had started going off, blaring that emergency siren sound. I blindly reach over and manage to unlock it, stopping the alarm. I lay in bed for a few minutes before swinging my legs out from under the covers.

When I get to my feet, my head starts spinning and I nearly fall back into bed. This usually happened after drinking a lot the night before, but it usually wasn't this bad.

I steady myself and then slowly start walking to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Coffee always wakes me up in the morning and snaps me out of my hangover, for the most part.

* * *

"Di Angelo!" Harry roars.

I shake my head, but that only worsened the dizziness.

"Yes, sir?" I ask.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he screams.

"Well, there are several things wrong with me. Which would you like to know?" I ask.

I think he must of thought I had been joking, because he practically blew up. "You've been stumbling around all day, and you knocked over a couple of displays! You can either clean up your act, or you can go home and never come back." he says, fuming.

I look down at him. His usually pasty face was red with anger, and I could of sworn his eyes were glowing red.

"You know what? I'll go with the second option." I say, taking off my work apron and throwing it in his face.

"You can't do this, di Angelo!" Harry screams after me.

"I'm pretty sure I can. I quit!" I yell, walking out the door.

As I walk to my car, my vision blurs and I look down. Bad call. The ground looked like it was moving beneath my feet and it made me feel sick.

I close my eyes and steady myself against a car next to me, taking deep breaths. That's when I knew I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't drink a whole fucking bottle of Vodka each night just to help me sleep.

I was going to get off of the stuff and I was going to start today. I didn't want this to happen anymore.

* * *

It had been three weeks since I had quit my job at the hardware store. I had been hired at a restaurant a few days after that. Everything had been looking up. I hadn't touched the alcohol since quitting and I hadn't had that dream again either.

That is, until today.

I woke up gasping like a fish out of water. It really hadn't been as bad as some of the others had been, but I guess since I hadn't had the dream in a while, it might as well had been that bad.

I stumble out of bed, not even knowing what time it was, and go to the kitchen. I reach into one of the cabinets and pull out a couple of Fire Ball Whiskey bottles. One was half-full, the other hadn't even been opened yet.

I go into the living room and sit down on the couch and open the half-full bottle. I pour the stuff into my mouth and feel it burn down my throat. It tasted just like Red Hots, mixed with a bunch of cinnamon.

I sigh and down the rest of the bottle, and then I open the other and start drinking from it.

Eventually I feel so drunk that I don't even know where I am. I feel myself rise to my feet and start walking to the door though. I'm barely aware when I walk out of the apartment and start aimlessly stumbling down the street.

**A/N:**

**I am so sorry about how long this update took. I've had it edited for about a week now, I just keep forgetting to upload it.**

**Anyway, *screams* NICO, I SWEAR TO GOD, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS AGAIN?! Okay, I'm good now. I really like the next chapter, and I think you guys will like it too. I swear, I'm going to try my hardest to update this one more often, but I'm not making any promises. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Harold, what time is it?" I ask.

"Just past 2 o'clock, Thalia." he calls from the busing window.

I sigh and tilt my head back. This night just kept dragging on and on, seemingly endless. I was working a night shift at the diner, the only other person here was the night cook, Harold.

I hated these night shifts so much. I didn't understand why the diner was even open 24 hours. No one ever came in past 9:00.

"Hey, Thalia." Harold says.

"Yea?" I ask, looking at him.

"Who's that outside?" he asks, pointing to the window.

I peer through the window to see a guy. He was stumbling, nearly falling over a couple of times. He falls against the door and it opens.

He comes in crying and looking up at the ceiling. "Please God, take me! I just want to see her again!" he sobs.

He was shirtless and only wearing a pair of navy blue sleep pants. I hurry over to him and guide him over to a booth. He was still sobbing, pleading for God to kill him so he could see "her" again.

I hurry to the back and get a glass of ice water. I grab a straw and then come back out. I go over to the booth and put the straw in his mouth.

"Drink." I say.

He gradually starts drinking the water and stops crying. After a while, the clouded look in his eyes clears away and he seems to wake up.

"I—" he says, then gets up and bolts out of the diner.

I watch him as he runs back in the direction he came from. I shake my head and take the half-empty glass of water to the back.

"Stupid drunks." Harold mumbles as I exit the kitchen again.

That guy obviously had a reason as to why he was drunk. Someone he loved had been taken away from him and he just wanted to see them again.

**A/N:**

**Short chapter...I think you guys are really gonna like the next chapter, partially because of what happens, and also 'cause it's a lot longer than this one :3**

**Ahh, I really hope that I can go shopping tomorrow. I need a friend who will go to Hot Topic and places like that with me, 'cause my friend that I go shopping with, she hates going into stores like that, I think they scare her because of some of the music they play in there... She prefers American Eagle and Forever 21 and stores like that and usually I'll just be following her around or standing awkwardly looking at a shirt that I think is the ugliest fucking thing on the planet. Like I said, I really need a friend who likes shopping at the same places I do. **

**I've been listening to Green Day all fucking day long and I gotta say, I've missed listening to it. Believe it or not, I haven't really listened to much Green Day in a while, been listening to other stuff. But whenever I have a music marathon with them, I always remember that they're like my one and only, the band that started it all for me and changed my life and the way I look at things and people for the better. God, I just love this band to fucking pieces. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do now own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

I really didn't remember much about the other night when I got drunk. All I knew was that I had that awful nightmare, I got the whiskey, and I drank and drank and drank. I vaguely remembered stumbling into a diner, and a pair of electric blue eyes, but nothing else besides that.

I look at myself in the mirror, my clean shaven face and my dark brown, almost black, eyes. My hair was swept to the side and out of my face.

I straighten my black tie, part of the uniform at the restaurant I work at, and sigh. I head out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. I look at the coffee maker, about to start it, then I put the coffee up, deciding to go to the local diner a block away from my house.

I slip on my shoes and grab my wallet and keys, then walk out the door and down the steps.

* * *

I walk into the diner, the little bell above the door chiming. The place smelled like pancakes, bacon, and other breakfast foods. I make my way over to the bar and sit down on one of the stools.

"I'll send someone over to take your order in just a second, sir." a waitress says as she passes me, carrying a tray full of food.

I nod and look at the menu. A few minutes later, a different girl comes over and gets me a cup of coffee and takes my breakfast order.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of black hair. I look over and see a girl. Her hair was black and choppy, her skin looked like porcelain. The bridge of her nose and her cheekbones were speckled with freckles. Her stomach was bumped up, and I could tell she was pregnant, probably a few months in.

She sees me and smirks. She finishes up with the people she was taking care of then makes her way over to me. I quickly avert my eyes and stare into my coffee.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and wince, turning around. Standing there was the girl. I had to hold myself back from gasping. Her eyes were electric blue.

She herself looked a bit shocked when she fully saw my face, but she covered it up quickly.

"You know, if you take a picture, it'll last longer." she says.

"I, uh. Sorry. You just reminded me of someone." I say.

"Oh really?" she asks.

"Yea." I say, my voice hoarse.

"I see. Well, it looks like your food is coming. Just please, stop staring at me. You're kinda creeping me out." she says.

"Uh, will do. Sorry." I say, nodding.

She walks away and I turn back to my coffee just as the waitress brings my plate of food. I stare at the crispy pieces of bacon and shake my head. I couldn't possibly be in love with her. I had only just met her.

* * *

"Nico, what's up with you today, man? You've zoned out like three times on me." Will says, concern in his sky blue eyes.

"Ah, it's nothing, man." I say, waving his concerns off.

He eyes me, obviously not convinced. "Did something happen last night?" he asks.

I sigh and glare at him. "No. And when I told you about all that stuff, it was just so I could get it off my chest, not so you could keep bringing it up to me when I'm just tired." I say.

"Fine, fine." he says, smirking at me.

"Will! You've got a couple at table three." Dienna, the assistant manager, calls.

"Alright, be there in a sec." he hollers over his shoulder, "Alright. You say whatever makes you feel better, Neeks, but you know I'm here if you needa talk." he says.

"I know." I say, nodding, "Now go on, or Dienna will kill you."

"Ah, she won't kill me. Loves me too much." he says, winking.

I shiver at the thought of what _that_ meant, and then turn back to rolling silverware. I just couldn't get her out of my head. Those intense eyes of hers and the way she just came up to me and plainly, without any hesitation, told me to stop staring at her. I had to do something about this, I felt like I was going crazy.

* * *

It was just past 5:00 and I was already telling myself that this was the dumbest thing I'd ever done. Before I had left work today, I had given in to Will and told him about the girl at the diner. He, of course, told me to go there after I got off and talk to her.

So here I was, just feet away from the diner, and having a battle raging in my head.

I reach the door and peer in. She was still there, working away. The diner was relatively empty, only a few people sitting at the booths.

I take a deep breath then push open the door. A little jingle sounds when it swings open and the girl looks at the door. I see a hint of a smile on her lips, then she goes back to cleaning the bar.

I walk over and sit at the same stool I had sat at this morning.

"Just couldn't stay away, huh?" the girl says, coming over to me.

Her name tag read "Thalia."

"I uh—" I stutter. Her eyes really were gorgeous, hypnotizing actually.

"di Angelo. I mean, my name. My name is Nico di Angelo." I say, wanting to bash my head against a brick wall.

She chuckles and her eyes glitter. "I'm Thalia Grace." she says.

"Nice to meet you, Thalia." I say.

"So, can I get you anything, or are you just here to tell people your name?" she asks, arching an eyebrow.

"I uh, actually I was wondering—" I say, looking down at my hands.

"Yea?" she asks.

"Would you ah, like to go to a movie sometime? Or get some pizza? As friends, not as like a date." I ask, not daring to look at her and see the rejection in her eyes before she spoke.

"Good God, would you look at me please?" she asks, placing a hand under my chin and forcing me to look her in the eyes, "Yes, Nico di Angelo, I'll go get pizza with you as a friend."

"R-really?" I ask, baffled.

"Well, yea. I mean, you seem like a nice guy, why not?" she says, shrugging.

I grin and grab a napkin and a pen. "Here's my number. Call me when you've got a day off." I say, handing her the napkin.

"Will do. I'll talk to you soon, Nico." she says, turning away and getting back to work.

I smile and slide off the stool. I walk out the door and start making my way back to to the apartment. That hadn't been as hard as I thought it would be.

**A/N:**

**I really liked writing sarcastic Thalia and bashful Nico, it was fun! I was giggling like a schoolgirl the whole time while writing the part where he asks her out :3**

**You guys happy that I finally had them meet? Er, meet when Nico's brains weren't hammered out of his fucking mind, I mean. **

**I'll tell ya, 15 and 16 are fucking long-ass chapters. Took me about an hour to an hour and a half each to write, and I've still got some things I need to add. Not sure when those'll be up, 'cause I want to write some more before I post them, so I won't be on a hiatus like the past few times I've run out of chapters to post.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Nico!" I gasp in between the giggles, "Stop!"

"And why would I?" he asks.

"Because if you don't, I'll uh—" I trail off, trying to think of a good threat.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop." he says, taking his hands away from me.

I sigh, trying to catch my breath. I really hated being tickled, but no matter how much I protested to it, Nico did it anyway. I didn't much mind when he did it though, because it got him to smile, and over the past few weeks that we've spent together, I've picked up on the fact that not much can make him smile.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" I ask, propping myself up.

"I dunno. Watch a movie?" he asks.

"Sounds—" I'm cut off by my phone ringing.

"Hang on." I say, answering it.

I watch as Nico gets up off the couch and goes over to the media center and grabs the DVD case. He hops back onto the couch, flipping through the movies, just as I end the call.

"Well, I really wish I could stay, but that was Charlotte. She can't come into work today so she was wondering if she could switch with me." I say.

"Oh, that's alright. We'll just do something later then." he says, closing the case and standing up. I could see his mood dull a little and some of the happiness leave his dark eyes, I hated it when that happened.

"Nico, I'm really sorry." I say. God knew I was, I hated working at the diner but it had been the only place that would hire me.

"Hey, it's okay. No prob, Thals." he says, giving me a small smile.

"I promise, if I get off on time tonight, I'll swing by and we can watch a movie or something." I say.

"Sounds good, Thals." he says.

"I'll call you when I get off." I say, slipping on my shoes and jacket.

"Alright, talk to you then." he says, waving to me.

I open the door and hesitate for a second before leaving. Another thing I had picked up on was that Nico was depressed. He hid it well, but I could tell just by the look of dread constantly in his eyes. No matter how good of a mood he was in, that look was always there, hidden or shadowed maybe, but it was there.

I knew that he hadn't always been like this though. He had been happy at one point in his life, but something had happened. I had a feeling that it had something to do that one night he stumbled into the diner, completely hammered and begging God to kill him so he could see "her" again. Whoever this girl was had been important to Nico, and she had died. That much was obvious. What I was trying to figure out was who this girl had been.

I hadn't brought up that night to Nico. I didn't even know if he remembered it, and I didn't want to pry about this mystery girl of his.

* * *

"I'll see you tomorrow Kathy." I call as I walk out the door.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. I go directly to Nico's number and press the call button. I hold the phone up to my ear and it just keeps ringing.

I take the phone away when it goes to voice mail and try calling again, only to have the same thing happen. I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I push it aside and quicken my pace.

When I reach the complex Nico lived in, every apartment porch light was on, except his. I make my way up the creaking wooden stairs, pulling my copy of his house key out.

I quickly unlock the door and fling it open.

"Nico?" I call.

No response.

I take my key out of the lock and close the door behind me. I take off my jacket and shoes and drop my bag onto the floor. I look in the kitchen to find it empty. His bedroom was also vacant. Then I see light pouring out from the crack under the closed bathroom door.

"Nico, are you in there?" I ask, knocking.

Again, no response.

I try the knob to find that it wasn't locked. I let the door swing open and I find Nico on the floor, just barely breathing. All he was wearing a pair of boxers. There were cuts all up and down his torso and all over his thighs and arms; some new, some scabbed over, and some just barely scars. How I'd never noticed the ones on his arms, I don't know.

"Nico!" I cry, getting on my knees with some difficulty.

I cringed slightly when his blood soaked through my jeans. I whip out my phone and call 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?" the dispatcher answers.

"My friend, he—" I was having trouble keeping it together.

"Ma'am, just calm down and tell me what happened." she says.

"I just got to my friend's house and I couldn't find him anywhere so I came back to the bathroom and when I opened the door, I found him on the floor." I say, my voice trembling.

"How exactly did you find him? Is he still alive, ma'am?" she asks.

"Yes, he's still alive. He's cut himself all over. His blood—it's all over the floor." I whisper.

"Tell me your location and I'll have an ambulance there is a couple of minutes." she says.

I quickly ramble out Nico's address and his apartment number and then hang up. I toss my phone to the side then grab two of the navy blue towels that were hanging up on the hooks. Then I press them against the cuts all over his body.

"Nico, please." I whisper, feeling hot tears stream down my face.

Three minutes later, I hear the front door bang open. "Hello?" someone calls.

"In here!" I say.

A paramedic rushes in to the bathroom, followed by two others carrying a gurney.

"Ma'am, if you'll follow me please." one of them says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"But Nico—" I say.

"He'll be perfectly fine, Miss." he says.

I look at Nico again and then get to my feet and follow the man out of the bathroom. He tells me to get my things and then I follow him outside and down the stairs.

We get to the ambulance and he reaches in and gets something. "Miss, you need to calm down." he says, draping a rough blanket over my shoulders.

"But I am calm!" I say.

"Miss, please. Do you know if there's anyone we can call for Nico? Parents or siblings?" he asks.

"I—his dad maybe, but I don't know the last time they even talked." I say.

"Anyone else?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Okay, well, I think the best thing you can do right now is go home and get cleaned up. You can come down to the hospital to see Nico in the morning." he says, moving aside as the other two paramedics load Nico into the ambulance.

"In the morning? No, I'm going down there tonight." I say.

He turns around and looks at me. "Miss—" I cut him off.

"No. He doesn't have anyone else right now to come stay with him. I'm going." I say, my voice firm.

The man looks at me and then sighs, rolling his eyes. "Fine." he says, waving for me to follow him.

I get into the back of the ambulance with the other paramedic and the man closes the two big doors. He and the other one get into the front and before I know it, we're speeding away from the apartment and to the hospital.

**A/N: **

**NICO, NOOOOO!**

**I think you guys are gonna like the next chapter, it's reeeeeally long. Or at least, long for my standards. **

**I was writing chapter 18 the other day and I had to stop. Y'know when you're writing or reading something and you can just ****_feel _****yourself getting really sad and down and you want to curl up in a ball and sob your eyes out 'cause whatever you were doing touched a sore spot? That's pretty much what happened. Except I couldn't curl up in a ball and sob my eyes out 'cause I had been at work with my mom. **

**Thankfully though, my friend texted me and wanted to know if she could come over and go to the park. So, she and her dad came and picked me up and then we walked to the park a couple of minutes away from my house and then we went back home and watched a horror movie. So I was much, much better by the end of the night :3**

**I just finished that chapter and started writing 19 just now. I have no clue how long this story is going to be, probably around 25 chapters.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

My head felt like it had been smashed against a brick wall. Several times. And then run over by a monster truck for good measure.

I couldn't open my eyes. Any time I tried, it felt like they were glued shut with superglue.

I was faintly aware of someone sniffling beside me, and whispering my name and calling for me to wake up. The person who was calling to me sounded like a girl, one I knew, but I couldn't place the name and face. It frustrated me because I _was_ awake, they just didn't know it.

* * *

"He should be waking up soon enough." someone says, it was a guy.

"Ugh." I moan. I remembered a girl calling my name, but I didn't remember passing out.

"Ah, here he is." the guy says.

I slowly open my eyes, only to be blinded by white everything. I cover my eyes with my hand and keep them covered for a few seconds. Then I take my hand away to see a guy in a white lab coat and blue scrubs and Thalia.

"Thalia." I say, my throat hurting with every syllable.

"Nico." she says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'll leave you." the guy, who was obviously a doctor, says, exiting the room.

"Thals, what—how did I get here?" I ask, looking around the room.

"I found you." she says.

"Found me—oh." I say, noticing the white bandages wrapped around my arms. I could feel them on my torso and thighs too.

"Yea, 'oh.' Nico, what the hell?" she asks.

"Why did I do it?" I ask.

"Yea." she says, sitting down in the chair beside my bed.

I sigh and look up at the ceiling. "There was a girl." I say.

"Who wanted you to kill yourself?" she asks.

"No, no. She—her name was Amy. I was in love with her. She ah, she was cheating on me. And she killed herself because she couldn't handle the guilt of it, and she couldn't bare breaking up with either of us." I say.

"Oh." she says.

"I found her, wrists slit, bled out on her bathroom floor. I was going to propose to her the next week." I choke out, I never talked about Amy.

"Nico I—I'm so sorry." she says.

I look at my arms. I imagine that underneath the bandages, all the cuts I inflicted on myself were sewn up. My sides ached whenever I took a breath, and if I shifted in the bed, my legs screamed in agony.

"Has anyone—called for me?" I ask.

"I went back to the apartment and got your phone, I just called your dad." she says.

"Oh, I bet he'll just be overjoyed." I grumble.

"Do you—do you just not talk to your family?" she asks.

"My mom and my sister, they pretty much just ditched me, left me with dad. And then he got married to Persephone, she tries too hard to be friends with me, and I hate it. They basically kicked me out of the house after Amy died, haven't talked to them since, and that was about five months ago. None of them care about me." I say.

"He sounded really worried about you when I told him what happened." she says, her voice quiet.

"Well, I guess we'll see what happens." I sigh.

"When did you start—doing that to yourself?" she asks, sounding like she wanted to know, but didn't want to know at the same time.

"Long time ago. Maybe three or four months ago. I usually only cut my torso and thighs though. When I cut my arms, I only do it close to my shoulders so that my shirt sleeves cover it up." I say.

"Oh." she says.

Ten minutes later, dad bursts in. When he sees me, his face seems to just crumple.

"Nico, oh thank God." he says, coming over to me.

"I'll um—I'm gonna go get something to drink." Thalia says, getting up and exiting the room.

"Nico, what happened?" he asks, sitting in the chair Thalia had just vacated.

I sigh and tell my story, pretty much everything that had happened since they had kicked me out. When I finish, his eyes that looked so much like mine were vacant.

"I'm so sorry, Nico." he says.

"Dad, it's alright." I say.

"No, it's not. I didn't call or check up on you or anything. I don't even know where you _live_." he says.

"Okay, so maybe it's not entirely alright." I say.

"Where's Persephone?" I ask.

"Oh, her." he says, rolling his eyes.

"Yea, uh, _her_. Why the sour attitude? Usually that's what _I_ do when someone mentions her." I say.

"We divorced." he says.

"_What_? When?" I ask, baffled.

"A couple of months ago." he says, shrugging.

"Why?" I ask.

"She thought I was cheating on her." he says.

"Were you?" I ask.

"No! The whole thing came about when she claimed to have seen me staring at some waitress' rack, which I wasn't. She went completely ballistic every time I denied it, the last time it ended with her throwing a pomegranate at my head. " he says.

"I told you she was nuts." I say, chuckling.

"Yea, yea. I know." he sighs, "So you know when they're gonna let you out of this place?" he asks.

"No clue." I say.

"Hm. Who was that girl that was in here? She's the one that called and told me you were here. She your girlfriend?" he asks.

"Geez, dad. So many questions." I say.

He shrugs.

"Well, to answer them, that was Thalia. I met her last month at the diner in town, she works there. And no, she's not my girlfriend, just a friend." I say.

"You want her though." he says, studying me.

"No." I say, feeling blood rush to my cheeks.

"Yes, you do." he says, chuckling.

"No, I don't." I say.

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say, son." he says, raising his hands up in defeat.

"So I'm gonna assume that that's not your child she's carrying?" he asks.

"_Dad_!" I hiss.

"Okay, I'll stop." he says, laughing.

"Thank you." I sigh.

"But she is a good one. I can tell just by the way she looks at you, like she really, really cares about what happens to you. Don't let her get away from you." he says.

"Well, that's what friends do. They care about you." I say, disregarding the last thing he said.

He looks at me and sighs, shaking his head. "Whatever you say. I need to get going. You gonna be alright?" he asks.

"Yea, I think so." I say.

"Don't hesitate to call me." he says, gripping my shoulder.

"I won't, I promise." I say.

"Good. Well then, I'll see you later." he says, then walks out.

A few minutes later, Thalia strolls in carrying a bottle of water and a red velvet cupcake with butter cream frosting.

"How'd it go with your dad?" she asks.

"Surprisingly, good. I uh, he and Persephone divorced." I say.

"Really? What happened?" she asks.

"Doesn't matter. I just want to get out of here." I say.

"I'll go get the doctor and ask when you can leave." she says, standing up again.

I remember what dad said about not letting her get away and my hand twitches, itching to pull her back, but I restrain myself. I couldn't do this. She wasn't ready for another guy, and I obviously wasn't ready for another girl.

**A/N:**

**Since you guys asked so nicely, I decided to update again. No cliffhanger this time, but I'm sure y'all are all screaming at Nico. I think you guys will really like the next chapter :3**

**Ugh. Today really hasn't been a very good day. Word of advice, don't hate on people. Some people, like myself, are ****_extremely _****insecure and won't deal with hate very well. Honestly, it's the most pointless thing to do on the planet. And if you're doing it anonymously, you're a fucking coward because ****_you _****don't want to be called out for hating on someone else who didn't do anything to deserve it in the first place. **

**But, I get to watch all new Supernatural tonight, so that makes this day just a little better :3**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"Is that all of it?" Nico calls from the driveway.

"Yea!" I say.

I look around the small house at all the piles of boxes. Who knew two people could have so much stuff? Well, two people and a baby only a month and a half away.

Nico comes inside, closing the screen door behind him.

"What do you think?" he asks.

"I love it." I say, smiling.

Last month, shortly after he had been released from the hospital, Nico had brought up that I was living by myself and that I was due to have the baby in just a few months. We had discussed it more and more and finally decided to get a house together and he'd help me raise the baby.

Nico worried me a lot though. He's been getting better, little by little, ever since his trip to the hospital. But sometimes, he'd fall off the wagon and back into the drunken nights; I worried that he'd start cutting again.

"I think we'll be good here." he says, standing behind me.

"Me too." I say, smiling.

He comes around to face me and crouches down. He places his hands on my stomach and grins.

"I think she'll like it here too." he says.

I laugh. "I hope so." I say.

"Have you heard any from Annabeth recently?" he asks, standing up.

"Yea, I talked to her last week. She said she and Percy would come over and she's going to look around the house and help me pick colors to paint the walls." I say.

"Awesome." he says, nodding.

"Nico." I say, walking over to the couch and sitting down.

"Huh?" he asks.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I ask.

"Thals, I've told you a million times, I don't care that she's technically Luke's child. After what he did to you, there's no way in Hell I'm letting him near her or you." he says.

We'd been having this argument for about two weeks now. I had been having second thoughts about whether Luke should be a part of his daughter's life or not, and whether Nico was ready to be a sort of dad.

"But—" he cuts me off.

"But nothing. He obviously has problems, and I don't want him around you or her." he says.

"But he's her father, he has the right to see her!" I say.

"Thals, listen to yourself! You're talking about the man who cheated on you, then _denied_ it, and beat you up to try and make you agree to let him be in the child's life!" he says.

I sigh, rubbing my aching temples. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just—I feel bad because it _is_ his daughter, and he's not going to be a part of her life." I say.

"Well, don't feel bad about it. I'm here, and that's all you'll need, I promise." he says, sitting down next to me.

I look at him and give him a feeble smile. "Oh yea? And what about changing diapers?" I ask.

"Okay, that'll be all you. I can do other stuff like putting her to sleep and washing her." he says.

I smirk and shake my head. "That's what I thought." I say.

"Hey, how about I set up the TV and we can watch a movie?" he says, sitting up.

"Sounds good." I say.

I watch him as he goes about trying to find all the wires and cables and all the other things for the TV and think, _'How on Earth was I able to find a friend as amazing as Nico?'_

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

"Goddammit, Thalia! Why can't you see that he's bad news?" Nico yells.

"He made a mistake! That's all!" I say, angrily putting up dishes.

"_Two_ mistakes. Both very huge." he says.

"Do you think I _want_ to be back together with him? I don't, I just think he deserves to be a part of his daughter's life." I say.

"He deserves nothing from you." he says.

"Okay, what's up with you lately?" I ask, turning around and looking at him.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"You've been acting weird ever since we moved in. You've not been your usual self." I say.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he says, his body stiff.

"You're lying. Is it the baby?" I ask.

"What about the baby?" he asks.

"Are you nervous about taking care of her?" I ask.

"Well, yea I'm nervous, but it's the excited nervous." he says.

"Then what's wrong?" I ask.

He looks at me for a minute before speaking. "You. Your obsession with Luke and claiming how he should be a part of the baby's life. He has no right whatsoever over you or her." he says.

I look at him and then walk past him and out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" he calls, following me.

"I need a couple of days away." I say, going into my room and grabbing my backpack.

"Thals—" I cut him off.

"I just need to clear my head. I'll be back in two days. I promise." I say.

He gives me a hard look and then nods, leaving the room. That look made me wonder how many times someone had promised him something and never kept the promise.

I knew he was right about Luke. He didn't have any right to be a part of my life or the baby's, but I couldn't help but feel like he should anyway.

**A/N:**

**"Gah, Thalia! What the hell is wrong with your head?!" I'm sure that's what you guys are all saying right now. **

**Well, yesterday I got my flu shot. Not fun whatsoever. Partly because I'm terrified of needles, and also 'cause my arm hurt for the rest of the day. I think the guy who gave it to me hit a nerve or something. And this morning it was sore, but it's stopped hurting for the most part.**

**Sooo, I basically taught a pottery class last night. My teacher had to go to this awards ceremony because she was nominated for best business woman of the year in our town. She had two subs there, but one of them is another artist at the studio and she's a painter, so she has no clue what to do when it comes to pottery. And the other was one of my teacher's students from her adult class and she didn't get there till about 45 minutes after the class started.**

**We were glazing last night (basically painting the pots, for those of you who don't know what glazing is), so I had to demonstrate how to glaze a pot and and what all you had to do to it to one of the girls who'd never glazed before. Then I also had to order the other students around when it came time to clean up. I swear, they were all being so fucking lazy and slow last night, I just wanted to smack all of them. But I got it all done, so yay! I was exhausted last night though. I only stayed up till 12:30, and that should tell you something since I usually can't fall asleep until 1 or 2. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

Thalia had been gone for a day now, leaving me alone at the house. She had gone to Annabeth's apartment for a couple of days to "clear her head" as she had claimed. I sit down on the couch and look up at the ceiling. We had just painted last week and the ceiling was sky blue. The walls we had painted a leaf green. This was just the living room though, pretty much every room in the house was a different color.

I get off the couch and go into the kitchen. There was a stack of clean plates on the counter that Thalia hadn't put up before she left. I grab them and go over to the cabinet and start putting them away.

When I get to the last plate, my grip on it slips and it falls out of my hand and onto the tiled floor. It shatters with a loud '_crash_.'

I sigh and carefully walk out of the kitchen, avoiding the ceramic shards, and grab the broom and dustpan out of the coat closet. I head back and start sweeping up the broken plate.

When it's all cleaned up, I put up the broom and then look at my hands. My thumb on my right hand had a long gash on it, going from the tip of my thumb and stopping right above my wrist. It was bleeding and dripping all over my hand.

I stare at it in wonder. It didn't even hurt, I hadn't noticed getting cut with the plate at all.

I touch the trails of blood on the palm of my hand and spread them, making a dot. The scarlet red of the blood was almost mesmerizing.

Then I look at my forearm and see the slowly fading scars. I shake my head, snapping out of my reverie, and quickly go to the bathroom.

I grab a washcloth and start washing the blood off of my hand. I wasn't going to go down that road again. I had promised myself I wouldn't. I'd be letting myself down and I'd also be letting Thalia down, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

I splash some cold water on my face and then turn it off. I look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were dark and sunken in, thanks to several sleepless nights, and I was paler than usual. I looked broken almost, like my soul had been shattered into little pieces.

I suppose, in a way, it had been. It had gotten a piece chipped off when mom and Bianca left and I had to stay with dad. It cracked a little when dad married Persephone. A huge chunk broke off and dissolved into dust when Amy told me she had been cheating on me, and also when she died. And now, the little tiny piece that was left was being torn apart by the voices inside my head.

Sometimes I really wished those voices would just shut the fuck up. They didn't help anything. They pointed out my every flaw to me and made me think that when people saw me, they saw those flaws. The scars on my body, the lifeless, vacant look in my eyes.

Those voices made me want to hurt myself, maybe kill myself even. But then I think back about what I'd be leaving behind. I'd leave my dad and Will, and a possible future with Thalia and the baby. That usually snapped me out of it, but the voices were still there, whispering their putrid words in my head.

I look at my reflection again and hate what I see. The scars looked more pronounced than usual, my skin looked pale and ashy, and then there was that damn broken look in my eyes.

"AHH!" I scream, smashing my balled up fists against the mirror. Immediately I feel the shattered glass bite into my knuckles.

The glass flies all around me, nicking my arms and face. There was still a piece of the mirror hanging from a nail on the wall. I peer into it and see scratches on my face, little droplets of blood running down my cheeks.

I move my feet, only to feel the sharp pain of the glass on my bare feet. Cringing, I grab a towel off the rack and sweep a clean circle around me.

I drop the towel in a heap and then look down at my arms. There were small scratches all over them from the glass, but there was one in particular that had been slashed pretty badly by the mirror.

I sigh and sit down on the floor, bringing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. Then, I just sit there, a numb, bleeding mess.

**A/N:**

**And this is why I had trouble writing this chapter. All of Nico's insecurities taunting him and just-yea. And this is why Thalia should ****_not just leave Nico like she did._**

**For a Sunday, I've actually been pretty productive. Usually on Sundays I sleep in reeeeally late, later than usual, and when I get up, I sit around the house all day and watch TV or write or something. But today, I got up (not very early, mind you) and I helped my dad with my parent's bathroom a little (they're remodeling it) and then I took down all the Halloween decorations and put them up and then I swept/blew all the leaves off of our deck. And when my mom got home from work, I helped her tame the jasmine bush outside, the vines were going a bit too crazy and actually took hold of one of the tree branches. So yes, for a Sunday, I've been relatively busy.**

**I dunno when exactly I'll update again, but probably sometime this week. Like maybe Tuesday when I update my other story ****A New Beginning**** or on Wednesday.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Thalia's POV

"_Hey, you've reached Nico. Leave a message after the—_" a beep sounded and I sigh.

That was the third time I had tried calling Nico. I was getting a little worried now.

"Did he answer yet?" Annabeth calls from the kitchen.

"No. I think I'm gonna go ahead and go, see what he's up to." I say, standing up from the couch.

She comes in, still in her pajamas and her curly blond hair falling over her shoulders.

"Okay. Well, be safe. Call me when you get there." she says, hugging me.

"I will. Tell Percy I said hey." I say, slipping on my shoes and light jacket. It was getting to that point early in the year where some days you needed a jacket and other days you don't.

"Alright. See you later, Thals." she says.

I open the door, but before I do, Annabeth calls to me again. "Thals." she says.

I turn around a look at her. "Yea?" I ask.

"Think about what I said last night, y'know, about you and Nico." she says.

I sigh and nod, then walk out the door and head over to my car. I toss my bag onto the passenger seat and then close my door, jamming the key into the ignition.

Annabeth and I had pretty much just had a girls weekend _in_, watching movies and gossiping like we were schoolgirls again. Last night the topic of mine and Nico's relationship had come up.

Pretty much what happened was, Annabeth had been trying to convince me that we needed to get together, as like, a couple. She had said, "Both of you are broken, and I think you could help each other."

I still wasn't sold on the idea, but I had told her I'd think about it. I didn't know if Nico was ready for another relationship yet, not after Amy. From what he had told me about her, which wasn't much, he had really loved her.

Someone's front door slamming snaps me out of my thoughts. I start my car and back out of the space, praying I wouldn't find Nico like I had the last time, or worse.

* * *

"Nico?" I call, walking into the house.

Nothing but silence.

I sigh, pushing all the bad thoughts out of my head, and quickly make my way to the bathroom.

I walk in to find Nico, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. His arms had cuts on them, as did his face, and his knuckles were slashed to pieces. The blood was dried and all the cuts had scabbed over.

The mirror that had been above the sink was shattered except for a single shard still hanging to the wall. All the glass was in a circle around Nico.

"Nico." I say, moving some of the glass out of the way with my shoe and slowly crouching down beside him.

He looks over at me, a broken and vacant look in his dark eyes.

"Nico, what happened?" I ask, gingerly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I just didn't want to look at myself." he says, his voice barely audible.

"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." I say, bracing myself on the sink and standing up, then pulling him to his feet.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to go get the broom." I say, walking out of the bathroom.

I come back to find Nico in the same spot I had left him at. He really did look broken, like there wasn't even a person there, just an emotionless robot.

I sweep the broken glass into a neat pile and then lean the broom against the wall. I take Nico's hand and guide him over to the bathtub. He sits down on the edge as I grab a washcloth and get it wet with warm water.

As I scrub the dried blood off of his arms, he seems to come back to life. "Thalia." he chokes out.

"Nico, it's okay." I say.

"You actually came back." he says, staring at me.

"I told you I would, didn't I?" I ask, smiling at him.

"I know you did, but I didn't think you would." he says, looking down at his lap.

"And why wouldn't I?" I ask.

He looks me in the eyes, his dark, smoky topaz eyes piercing my electric blue ones.

"Because I'm a fucking mess, Thalia. Who in the world would want to even be in the same room as me? I can barely stand myself." he says.

"Don't say that, Nico." I say.

"And why shouldn't I? It's true. I hate myself." he says.

"Please, don't say that." I say.

He looks at me, seemingly studying my eyes. Then, he cups my cheeks and pulls me towards him, kissing me. I was so surprised that I really didn't know how to react.

He pulls back and gives me a guilty look. "Sorry, I uh—I shouldn't of done that." he says, avoiding my eyes.

Instead of replying, I lean forward and kiss him softly on the lips. Now it was his turn to be surprised. I myself was surprised that I kissed him, but when he kissed me, it felt _right_. For the first time in my life, something actually felt right, like it might actually work.

**A/N:**

**"FINALLY!" I bet that's what y'all are saying, I mean, that's what ****_I'm_**** saying and I made it take this long.**

**So what do you think's gonna happen next? I gotta tell you, the next chapter, there's a twist that you'll probably being going, "WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!" Nothing bad, I assure you, but it's definitely a twist.**

**Ahh, I got my hair done yesterday, now it's all white blonde again. No roots showing. This is the last time it's gonna be bleached for a while though, 'cause my hair stylist informed me that she's not going to bleach it at all again unless all my hair has grown out and healed a lot, and she's not going to do anything but trim it for two months. Little pieces were breaking off yesterday after she washed the bleach out because it got so dry. So now, when I wash my hair, I'm gonna have to do a deep conditioning treatment every time and use hair products with with argon oil in it. **

**But I think I'm going to go back to a natural color after this. I'm thinking a really dark brown and maybe later black. I'm still not sure about the black though. It really messes up your hair and changes its natural color. **

**Hope everyone has a fabulous Tuesday! **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico's POV

"Oh, Thalia, open this one! It's from Percy and I." Annabeth says, pushing over a big, purple polka dotted box.

She pushes it right in front of Thalia and she starts ripping the paper off, leaving it scattered around her feet. When all the wrapping is off, I see that it's a black and sky blue stroller.

"Thank God, a stroller." Thalia sighs, smiling at Annabeth.

"I figured you needed one. Nico was just telling me the other day that you guys hadn't gotten one yet." she says.

The box is passed around the room, all the other women looking at it. I really hated parties. I mean, I liked them, but I hated all the unfamiliar people in my house. I've always felt this way, and now with this baby shower, I find that time hasn't changed that.

When the stroller has made its way back to Thalia, another lady, Dana, Thalia's old landlady, hands her a gift bag.

"Excuse me." I say, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

"Trying to get away from all the baby-crazy females?" a voice says from the kitchen nook.

I look and see Percy sitting at the table, sipping a glass of water.

"Good God, yes. I mean, what's so adorable about a pair of baby shoes?" I ask, loading a paper plate with some of the finger sandwiches.

He laughs and shrugs. "Hell if I know. Annabeth's been going on and on about this baby shower for weeks. I'm just glad it's finally going to be over after today." he says.

"Thalia's been the same. She agonized over cleaning the house for three days. I finally had to take the cleaning supplies away from her because she was straining herself too much." I say, shaking my head.

"What was she opening when you came in here?" he asks.

"A gift bag, tons of pink tissue paper. I think it was from her old landlady, Dana." I say.

He nods. "I peeked in that one when no one was looking. It's the ugliest set of onesies I've ever seen." he says.

Just as I pop the last one of my finger sandwiches into my mouth, I hear the doorbell ring. I look at Percy and he shrugs, waving me off to answer it.

I make my way past the living room, where Thalia was still opening presents, and into the little entry hall. I open the door and nearly faint when I see who it is.

"Mom?" I ask.

"Hello, Nico." she says, giving me a tentative smile.

"Nico, who is it?" Thalia calls from the living room.

I don't answer her, I just stand there and stare at my mother. She hadn't changed. Her hair was still shiny dark brown, falling in loose ringlets around her shoulders; her eyes were still that warm, chocolaty caramel color; her skin was still that beautiful shade of olive; her lips were rosy red and her nose turned up a little on the end.

"Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to let me in?" she asks.

"I, uh—yea, come in." I say, moving aside so she could enter.

She walks in and makes her way to the living room where everyone else was.

I walk a few feet behind her, not quite sure if she was actually _here_. I hadn't seen or talked to her in so long, it was hard to believe we were standing in the same room.

"Nico, ah, who..?" Thalia asks, her eyes moving from my mom and back to me.

"Um, Thalia, this is my mom, Maria. Mom, this is Thalia." I say.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Thalia." she says, smiling at her.

"You too, Maria." Thalia says.

"Mom, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" I ask.

"Sure. Oh, Thalia, I brought this. I spoke with Hades and he said you were having a baby shower today." she says, handing Thalia two giant gift bags.

"You talked to _dad?"_ I ask, shocked. The last time they had talked, it had ended with a screaming match and was followed by a divorce.

"Yes, I did, Nico." she says, her cheeks going slightly pink.

Annabeth clears her throat slightly and takes the gift bags, setting them on the coffee table in front of Thalia.

I turn around and head into the kitchen, my mom following me.

"Hey, who was at the—" Percy falters when he sees my expression and then my mom behind me.

"Uh, I'm gonna go into the living room." he says, standing up from the table and quickly exiting the kitchen.

I turn around and look at her. She meets my gaze and we stare at each other for a minute before speaking.

"Why?" I ask.

"Why what?" she asks.

"Why did you come here?" I ask.

"To see you and meet Thalia, of course. I thought that was obvious." she says.

"Why now though? You could of picked any time, but you picked now. I've been trying to contact you and Bianca ever since you two left three years ago, and you know what happened? You never called me back, ever." I say.

"Nico, I'm sorry about that, I really am." she says.

"How do I know you are? You left me, after all. It was pretty clear you didn't want me when you left me with dad. You don't love me, and you're not sorry." I say.

I knew the words coming out of my mouth were hurtful, but I really didn't care. She had completely abandoned me for three years, no phone calls or letters, nothing. Not even a birthday present.

"Nico, don't say that." she says, moving closer to me and reaching out, as if to cup my face. She pulls back though and just looks at me.

"Why shouldn't I? It's completely true." I say.

"I know you, Nico, better than yourself probably. And I know you don't believe what you're saying." she says, her eyes searching my face for an expression of forgiveness.

"Oh really? _You_ know _me_? Do you have _any_ idea what I've been through since you left?" I ask.

"Well—" I cut her off.

"No, you don't. Dad got married less than a year after you two split up. I had to deal with his new wife and pretend she was my mom. I had to basically forget you and Bianca ever existed." I say, getting angrier as I went on.

She opens her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. "And you remember Amy, right? The girl I had been dating for a little less than two years when you left? Well, I was still dating her ten months ago. Then, she called me one day and told me she had been cheating on me, and then she killed herself because she couldn't handle the guilt. I found her in her bathroom, wrists slit and crumpled up on the floor. I was going to propose to her the next week. You have no idea who I am anymore. You might've at one time, but you don't now." I say, my voice bitter.

"I—" she was stunned, that I could see quite clearly. She had no idea how to comfort me, and it killed her.

"Where's Bianca?" I ask, wanting to change the subject from Amy.

"She uh, she's at the house." she says.

"Why didn't she come with you?" I ask.

"I didn't tell her I was coming." she says.

"Why?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I guess I just wanted to see you first." she says.

"Well, you've seen me." I say, crossing my arms.

"Nico, can we please work this out?" she asks, her eyes pleading.

"Maybe some day, but not today." I say, hearing the coldness in my own voice.

"Why not today?" she asks.

"Because, today I just can't do it." I say, throwing my arms up and turning away from her.

My sleeves came up when I raised my arms, revealing some of the scars that were still healing.

She gasps and rushes over to me. Even though I protested, she took me by the wrists and pushed the shirt sleeves up, revealing the scars all up and down my forearms.

"Nico." she whispers, looking up at me with watery eyes.

"I told you, you don't know me anymore." I say, my voice low.

She runs her fingers over some of the puckered scars, then drops my hands and envelopes me in a hug.

I awkwardly stand there for a second then hug her back. I could feel my shirt getting wet and knew she was crying.

Then I felt guilty. I had made my own mother cry, what kind of son was I? Self hatred floods into my mind, once again.

_'She loves you and wants to be in your life again, and this is how you repay her? A broken shell of a man who was once her son? You're nothing, pathetic, a small cry for help in a million shadows.'_ The stupid voice inside my head taunts.

"I'm sorry." I choke out.

"Nico, why?" she asks.

"I hated myself." I say. It was as simple as that. And I still hate myself, but I don't want to tell her that.

"Why would you hate yourself?" she asks, holding me at arms length and looking at me, tears streaming down her face.

"Because of what I became." I say, shrugging and looking down at the floor.

She wipes at her eyes and then looks at me again. "We're going to talk about this. Not today, but soon. I want to get to know my son again." she says, squeezing my arms.

"Okay, mom." I say, nodding.

She smiles at me and stands on her tiptoes, kissing my cheek.

"I need to get going. Bianca's probably wondering where I am. I'll call you and we can have lunch sometime." she says.

"Sounds good." I say, giving her a small smile.

She reaches up and caresses my cheek, then turns around and leaves.

I go over to the table and sit down heavily. What a day.

**A/N:**

**What a day, indeed, Nico. What a day.**

**I mean, can you just imagine that happening? Your mom, who you thought didn't have a care in the world for you, just coming and ringing your doorbell with baby gifts for your girlfriend one day. I mean, wow. **

**Well guys, sad to say, but I think we're almost done with this story. I've got the next chapter written, but not 22. Soo, I obviously need to do some writing. But I can feel it nearing its end *grabs a box of tissues and dabs at eyes***

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


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